Fall Is Secretly the Best and Most Affordable Time to Travel

With more people at home, you’re looking at less crowds, cheaper flights, and better hotel deals.

Somewhere in between shifting gears from tank tops to overcoats, people tend to stop traveling. Summer vacation is over, ski season is around the corner, but shoulder season is just as pleasant for plan-making and bag-packing. The off-season traveler is often in for a treat. With more people at home, you’re looking at less crowds, cheaper flights, and better hotel deals. You might not get as deep of a tan, but the savings alone can make the trip worth your while. Here are seven places to get your off-season on.

Napa, California

Room rates plummet in the fall in America’s wine mecca, and so do the number of visitors. With less tourists to jostle with at winery tasting rooms, you can unwind and enjoy your tannin-filled activities with a backdrop of the vineyards changing colors. Plenty of hotels and resorts offer shoulder season discounts for visiting winos. Stay in a restored 19th century landmark in downtown Napa at the Inn on Randolph, now offering 10% off midweek nights throughout autumn. While you’re in town, pop open some bottles at Mi Sueño Winery, opened twenty years ago by Mexican immigrant Rolando Herrera who was recognized this year by the Smithsonian Institute for his success in Napa’s cutthroat wine industry.

South Australia

It’s spring in Australia, and the Aussies are gearing up for their Southern Hemisphere summer. Shoulder season translates to lower rates for intrepid travelers. Channel your inner Dundee and go have a walkabout in the bush, preferably with luxurious amenities at your disposal, like at Arkaba, a tourism slash conservation project situated in the outback on a 60,000 acre former sheep farm. There are just five guest rooms located on the remote property, but the real draw lies outside of the homestead in the great outdoors. Arkaba offers excursions like safari drives and fossil hunting. Warning: this is a place that takes pride in being wifi, television, telephone, and minibar-free. Don’t worry, there’s still booze to be had after a day exploring the rugged terrain with your field guide. If you want something more low key, stay in the state capital, Adelaide, and explore the city’s great food and bar scene.

Copenhagen, Denmark

With round trip tickets from New York or LA in the $300-$400 range, airfare to Copenhagen is looking really good right about now. Pack a scarf and get ready to dodge bicycle traffic in Denmark’s dreamy capital. Gobble up New Nordic cuisine at 108, an approachable Michelin starred restaurant by noma alumnus Kristian Baumann. There’s also Geist, where Danish chef Bo Bech is responsible for creating the most OCD-friendly food on the planet thanks to his artfully plated culinary creations. They happen to taste amazing, too, like the zucchini blossoms delicately filled with a cod mousse and curry. The marriage of fish flavors and fluffy cream texture, served with a pistachio coconut sauce, is a beautiful thing.

Chicago, Illinois

In autumn, flights to Chicago are stupid cheap from both coasts. Get in there before temperatures nosedive for the winter to fully enjoy the picturesque fall colors. In between mandatory tourist tasks like standing in front of that bean formally known as Cloud Gate or catching a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, you should be doing a lot of eating. While there’s always the molecular experience of Alinea to consider, work on your sweater weather bod with something more low key, like fried chicken at Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Weather permitting, drinks at Devereaux on the rooftop of the Viceroy Chicago come with unreal views of Lake Michigan and the city’s skyline.

Bali, Indonesia

With the rainy season starting to kick in, room rates drop in Bali, Indonesia’s best-known island paradise, right around now. Stay in Canggu, a quiet town nestled in rice paddies on Bali’s south coast. Surf in the morning then feast on Indonesian food at places like Warung Bu Mi, where generous meals go for a few bucks. There’s also delicious health food to be found catering to the Eat Pray Love set. You won’t find a better (or more photogenic) Açaí bowl anywhere else in the world. Down the road, The Kirana Hotel Resto and Spa offers pool-access rooms for under $70 per night during the shoulder season. If you’re looking really to ball out, stay at the boutique Hotel Tugu, a luxurious oceanfront property designed to showcase Indonesian culture.

Oahu, Hawaii

Don’t put away your flip flops just yet; prices for just about everything in Hawaii can dip in the autumn. “Fall has always been the best time to travel to Hawaii,” said Mike Dailey, owner of the Equus Hotel. “It’s our best weather, cooler than summer, but not rainy season. Less people, more space, and for the visitor and local alike, there are specials and discounts on everything from hotel rooms to restaurants and activities.” Take advantage of the lower ticket prices and get to Oahu’s beloved surf town, North Shore. For front row access to the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series, stay at Turtle Bay Resort. This fall, you can watch people shred the gnar from your balcony four nights and get a fifth free.

Paris, France

There are few more appropriate places on earth to wear a scarf than Paris, making it a no-brainer to visit the romantic city in the fall. Pensively stroll along the Seine without the tourist onslaught present in the summer. Swoop on four nights for the price of three at Le Meurice, should you fancy a stay at a hotel dating back to 1835 that’s located steps from the Louvre and Tuileries Garden. Jet lag woes? Make your way to Au Pied de Cochon, a place famous for its pig foot delicacy that happens to stay open 24-hours a day, every damn day.

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